


The Blind and The Lame

by AlphaWolfAl



Series: Al's Memories Of FFXV [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Graphic Descriptions Of Violence for the description of an injury, Mature for the word Fuck, Multi, Other, So fight me or whatever my dudes, This is a self insert and I am not ashamed, Written in first person because that's just easier for me sometimes, iggy specifically mentions "I" have relations with Gladio, it's implied iggy and "I" have some relations in the past, there's some feels in here though kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 02:49:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15257775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaWolfAl/pseuds/AlphaWolfAl
Summary: In camp, very late at night, Iggy practices maneuvering in the world while blind with the help of someone he has come to see as a friend during their journey. Things get real for a minute.





	The Blind and The Lame

It's late, neither of us knows, or really cares anymore, how late. Ignis stumbles to a stop, further from the fire than I'd anticipated, he's remembering where things are better every night.

"Two steps left and you'll clear the fire."

He follows the directions, precisely, no longer doubting my instructions as he had in the beginning. Then he's walking again, a steady gait, less unsure of his footing now as he relies on the cane to feel the terrain in front of him.

"Stop." He does. "Chair. One step right and you're clear."

He nods and again does exactly as I say. The jokes have long-since been made, but I still have to laugh. His sigh says he knows what I'm about to say.

“I could get used to ordering you around.”

“So you've said. And I am in no position to regret coming to trust your eyes in place of my own.”

That's as close to a thanks as he gives me, and it's the same thing he's always said about it, and it always makes me... uncomfortable. It's never really made sense to me that he's made me his guide dog. I'd asked once, joking that I may be part dog but I sure wasn't well trained. Ignis assured me it was nothing personal and that I was simply the one also awake so late at night.

I'd never bought the story, but it was close enough to the truth, everyone else turned in early lately.

He's walking forward again, head tilted, listening for me to call out obstacles.

I take a long drink from my flask, which the two of us had passed back and forth for an hour after he took a tumble before he'd decided to practice again.

“Can you see at all yet?” It's the first time I've actually asked aloud. His improvement in navigation doesn't mean he's recovering his sight, but if he is I want to know.

“Here I thought you enjoyed ordering me around every night.” He gives the little soft grin, his face turns towards me, with the sunglasses off I can clearly see the scarred tissue and the way his smile pulls at it does something to me that I'm not sure I understand.

“Is that a no?” There's no change in my voice, still lazy and clear.

“I'm afraid so.” He resumes walking, making his way towards me with slow steps, fairly sure of the terrain now.

I take another long drink, almost startled when his cane knocks against the inside of my boot.

“That's me.”

“Good.” He sweeps his cane, discovering the gap between my shoes, and then suddenly he's dropped to his knees on the ground in front of me.

“Iggy?” I freeze, not sure what's going on.

“It's not just because you're awake at night. And I apologize for lying to you.” His upper body is in my lap, hands taking hold of my shirt in a trembling grasp and forehead resting on my belly.

“What?” I'm still a little dumbstruck. My own hands move to rest one on his hair, the other over one of his hands.

His hand shifts, grasping my own in a grip like a vice. “You are the only one here who understands why I need to keep doing this.”

I move my hand through his hair gently. “Iggy...” What do you say to that? How could I even hope to respond?

“You and I... We're rather the same, you know.” His body relaxes a bit, but he doesn't make any motion to move from his place kneeling in front of me. “I was born to be the king's sword. And until the very end that is what I fully intend to be. Without you here... I don't believe I could have the strength to learn these new limitations...”

My breath catches, his hand falls to my knee and my eyes are drawn to it, to the scars under his fingers, can he feel them? Is he looking for them? He saw the damage to my legs... before his stunt in Altissia.

“I can't stop. And I won't let you stop either.” My voice is hard, his fingers are moving on my knee, he's feeling for the edges of my scars through his gloves.

“You ran so much more risk than I. And yet you are the one helping me.” His voice shivers a bit, my shirt is damp, I only now notice he's crying into my belly.

“If I had lost my legs I could have had new ones made.” I could remember the look on his face when I fell, the way his eyes snapped from my face to my legs to Ravus rushing towards me. 

He'd been lowering himself to check on me when the false Gladio had arrived. In the blur that was Ardyn's reveal Iggy had been pinned and forced to stare at me where I lay, covering Noctis's unconscious body with my own, braid come undone, covering my mouth to muffle my pained breath.

I could hear my own scream as the chancellor's fingers dug themselves into my wound. The instant Iggy saw the blood spill anew staining my dark pants his eyes went wild.

His hand tightening on mine snaps me out of the vivid flashback. “You would never have allowed yourself to fail. And I have no choice but to follow in your footsteps now.”

“Iggy look at me.” Shit as soon as I'd said it I caught myself. “Shit... Sorry. Uh...”

He actually looks up, blank eyes staring past my head and rimmed red from tears still staining his cheeks. “Pay it no mind. I understand.”

“Why are you suddenly saying all this?” I am aware this is not the most tactful thing to say, but I know Iggy's aware that I'm not the most tactful person.

“This... what we do here at night... I cannot help but feel that it takes away from things you would far more enjoy... And yet here you sit, directing me around camp each night as though you have nothing better to do.”

“What else do you think I would be doing right now? I would be sitting here drinking either way.” I actually laugh, that's what this is all about?

“You could be with Gladio. Or anyone else. How long has it been since you...”

“I'm gonna cut you off right there buddy. How long it's been since I fucked anyone doesn't matter. Never really mattered to me in the first place how long I went in between.”

“You never cease to amaze me. I am trying to apologize for taking so much of your time and you won't accept it.”

“I'm helping you because I know you won't ask for help.”

“I seem to recall you refusing help outright and here you are, fit for combat.”

“Most days.”

He finally puts his head down, the tips of his fingers still feeling at the edges of my scars like a worry stone.

“You still struggle. And that has been so very easy for me to forget in all you have done for me.”

“You can make it up to me once you stop tripping on the tent stakes.” I return my hand to his hair. During our conversation his eyes have finally dried, the tears have stopped and his hands have stopped shaking.

“I fully intend to.”

“Iggy, let's call it a night. We'll have to be up in a few hours to cook breakfast.”

“Another thing I could never have continued without you.”

“Now that's a lie. You could whip anyone into shape in the kitchen.”

He moves to stand, finding his cane where he'd dropped it next to himself, but he doesn't release my hand.

“I find I am quite tired. Please assist me to the tent.”

That's a damn excuse and he knows I know it. But I laugh and let him have it.

“Yea.”

I get to my feet with a crunch and crack that wasn't in my knees before the accident, and loop my arm around his waist walking slowly with him to the tent.

I ease him onto his sleeping bag, undoing the zipper for him and helping him in. Then I lay down myself.

As I fall asleep I feel his hand find mine again and hear him softly murmur.

“Thank you, Al.”


End file.
